Piper Fellow:
Emily Early

Early held a two-year postdoctoral position at National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian before returning to Arizona and the museum that sparked her career. She began as associate curator, running educational programming at Mesa Grande Cultural Park. As curator, she manages anthropology exhibits, oversees collections, develops programs, and engages in community outreach. Her latest exhibit “Ologies: The Science of Anthropology and Paleontology” highlights the importance of museum collections. An avid supporter of formal and informal education, Early frequently serves as a judge in science fairs and competitions and serves on the Friends of Pueblo Grande Museum board. The Piper Fellowship will afford Early the opportunity to gather knowledge of twenty regional museums’ practices in the areas of anthropology and natural history, their efforts to decolonize, and how anthropology is visually presented in natural history spaces. As she learns and reflects on how to make these institutional changes, she will pursue training and development in marketing, fundraising, and how to initiate change. A large part of this process will be building effective communication between stakeholders to effectively guide conversations about changing vision in these vital areas. Her goals are to enhance her nonprofit and managerial toolkits while undertaking experiences and building relationships that will stimulate new ideas for the future of her organization.